Gain & retain:Online Marketing for the Arts

Lucy Conlan

A preamble

• We are all on a journey• There are many crossroads• There are some signs• There is no one right way• At times we’ll have a rest,

sometimes we’ll run• Let’s enjoy it!

Topics covered

• Current trends

• Setting a strategy

• Creative

• Acquiring

• Retaining

Current trends & predictions

Microsoft National Email Benchmarking Survey 2006

• Number of contacts to email recipients each month

32% 31%

11%19%

1 2 3 4 5+

7%

Microsoft survey contd.

• What are the most popular email types to send?

• Regular newsletter (90%)• Welcome message (70%)• Segmented newsletter (70%)• Limited time offer (70%)• Alert breaking news (60%)• Birthday/anniversary (40%)

What are the least popular emails?

Win back targeting lapsed (25%)First purchase offer (23%)Top performers offer (22%)Address reconfirmation (20%)Abandoned cart (20%)

Discuss

2007 Jupiter trends

283 emails a week

26% unsubscribe

using the spam button

40% unsubscribe

due to receiving Too many emails

53% unsubscribe

when the offer& content

Is not interesting

cScapeAnnual Online Customer Engagement Survey

Engaged customers recommend products, provide feedback buy regularly

“Compelling copy, transparency and

consistency key to engagement”

2008

45% see the mobile channel as

important

Opportunity in anarchy

• “The growth of the networked society, the increase in individualism and the shift away from ‘automatic’ deference to society’s institutions mean that personal sources of advice and influence are more important than ever”

Future Foundation, Social Network 2006

Social networking statsMicrosoft 2007

Of UK on social networking

25%

35%

37%52%

Spend 20 to 25 mins per visit

Forward content

Post opinion

Take heart – you’re in the arts

• The product is strong

• Business leans towards good customer experience

• Integrity

• Seen as genuine

Making your own strategy

• Are you looking for a CRM approach?

• Why do you want online behaviour?

• What does your audience want?

• What is the competition doing?

• Do you need a data strategy?

• Mapping a journey over 6 months, and annually up to 5 years

Strategy

• Establish key aims

For email to become the

leading communication

tool

To be the leading theatre website

in Belfast

Quantifying your strategy

• Website targets– Hits– Visits– Repeat visits– Visitors– Reduce ‘abandon’

rates

• Qualitative– Online survey– User testing

• Email targets– Growth of list– Activism of list– Delivery rates– Volume of online sales

– Engagement barometers

• E.g. downloads

Branding

• Email & Online are an extension of established branding

• Colour

• Imagery

• Message

• ….but tailored

Checklist

• Produce a ready reckoner for your organisation e.g.

– Position, size and colour of logo– Navigation consistency– Language agreed– Minimum image quality

Branding is also about

• Customer care & understanding

• This could be:– Timeliness– Predicting likes & dislikes– Matching media preferences– Reducing frequency

New media shows us clues

Creative approach

Help customers digest the range

Do you every feel there is so much to read so little time?

Standard structure – email

Core selling areaStrong image Key dates

‘facts’

Secondary information

Secondary navigation

Primary navigationLogo area

Creative tips – words with email

Before they’ve opened:

• From address – arts have an advantage

• Subject line – urgency, relevancy works– Cryptic can backfire– Avoid ‘free’– Get personal – use of name

including subject line

Opened email: Word tricks

• Chunking – different to offline; pithy works

• Teasing – email gives the perfect opportunity : click here to find out more…

• Urgency and privilege

Creative tricks

• The eyes have it• Intrigue – scrolling

down• Mix it up – quotes,

text, statistics

Consistency…the website

ImpactClarity

Reflects offline

…and email

Email first

Classic exampleLarge image and key

message Top LHS

To website

Seasonal approach

Click through to bespoke landing

…look familiar?

Simple proposition – worked for me!

Can be simple – your name speaks volumes

What makes us tick?

• Getting it right – telling us about the right product?

• Surprising us?

• A bargain?

• Beautiful delivery?

• Consistency?

• Simplicity?Vote now

Acquisition

• Box office key• Sign up via your own website• Google rankings• Paid Google ads• Prominent online address on all

activity• Artists links• Reciprocal activity• Social networking

Overview of improving rankings

• Time – longer website up the better

• Changing content

• Links within the site

• Links externally

• Number of visits you are getting

• Words you use…more detail coming up

Case study: Dick Whittington

As many Dick

references as we could

squeeze in

Create extra

pages for content

What’s the score?

Panto – 5Dick Whittington 4

London – 3Family – 3

Gained top 3 Google rankings and for free

Google – natural search

• Test; what are you offering & how do you fare– E.g. Theatre, Northern Ireland– Fringe Theatre, Northern Ireland– Draw up a list of key phrases and words

– Embed them in text and re test; has it worked?

Words are powerful

Once established your key words and phrases embed them everywhere

• Website/email• Offline• PR

• This is branding and business welded together

Google ad words

Test searchPay per click

Limit £Gain online customers

Retention

Loyalty encouraged by messaging

• Welcome email

• Online offers – ‘exclusive’, ‘launch’

• Hear of event before the general public

• Listen to the artist – try before you buy

• Play the game – dinosaurs & all

Segmentation underpins it

Barbican approach:

• Stepped back and used Recency, Frequency and value

• Gave accessible names – Active & Rusty• Members isolated and at top of hierarchy• Apply segmentation to email and direct

mail

What email stats to collect

• Delivery rates• Open• Click• Forward• Purchase

Do segments behave differently? ….Yes!

Open Click Forward52%

30%

Members/Non members

13%

6%6% 3%

Value difference

• Average annual spend per name on list

Non members

£63

£7

Members

Does it stand the test?

• Subject line

• Timing

• Creative– Image use– Copy type

Response by media

Launch email

Income

£0

£2,000

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£16,000

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Members’ email

Contemporary email list

Brochure LandMembers Brochure Land

Challenging apathy

• We haven’t heard from you

• We still haven’t heard from you

• Prize draw

• OK, we’ll just talk to you each week

Reactivates 5%

New customers

5%

Customers on email

list65%

Customers new to email30%

Prize draw – reward for existing

Surprise me!

Breaking away from the regular approaches can reap rewards

Letting the audience look at themselves

Giving the customers a voice

• Vote for films• My first panto• Online surveys• Complaints via MD office

When they’re renewing – Trigger!

What do they want?

• Recent emailed survey:– 87% state booking online is preferred– 65% use the website to find out more before

booking

• Main reasons for booking:Choosing their own seat

Flexibility

Retention summary

• Key – repeat attendance

• Forwarding emails

• Participation online

• Becoming a member

• Rewarding members and key segments– Hearing first– Priority booking

CRM overview

For key product launches:

• Stage 1: Launch online to members first

• Stage 2: Follow up to non member online audience

• Stage 3: DM (where responders excluded)

• Stage 4: Email follow up– Non members, and offline customers

reminded of benefit of membership and online

Recap

• What will they want• What can you provide• Plan• Maintain consistency• Occasional surprise• Quick wins• Long term gains

Useful links

• Larry Chase email tips:

www.wdfm.com

• Dave Chaffey

www.davechaffey.com

• E Consultancy

www. e-consultancy.com

Thank you

conlanconsulting@blueyonder.co.uk